Star Fox: Sons of Kahless
by Eamon Gallagher
Summary: Fox McCloud and his friends are cadets at Starfleet Academy who have been given and amazing opportunity to serve on board a starship. But what happens when what started as a simple training program turns into a conflict with a discommendated Klingon House that seeks redemption through conquest? Fox x Fara, Fay x OC
1. Chapter 1

Star Fox: Sons of Kahless

**I have decided to do a rewrite of the Star Fox/Star Trek crossover that I did a few years ago. Fox and his friends are cadets at Starfleet Academy on Earth and are chosen to participate in a new cadet training program that gives cadets real experience on a starship. But, things turn real when they get caught in the middle of a conflict between the United Federation of Planets, the Klingon Empire and the discommendated Klingon House of Duras. The characters from the cancelled Star Fox 2 will be included in this fanfic.**

**A/N #1: Sorry to all you Fox x Krystal fans out there, but Fara Phoenix will be taking over Krystal's role, including the part of Fox's love interest.**

**A/N #2: StarFox AU**

**A/N #3: I am using my own Stardate calculation system, so hardcore Trekkies, go easy on me.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Star Fox, Star Trek or any of their canon characters/species. **

**Chapter 1: Starfleet Academy**

Stardate 52609.23 (September 23, 2426). It had been seventeen years since the end of the Klingon-Federation War, a war sparked by corruption in the Klingon High Council. The House of Duras had finally claimed a seat of power in the Klingon Empire and used its influence to launch a full scale invasion of the United Federation of Planets. The war was long and costly on both sides. Thousands of Federation lives were lost in the initial invasion and many millions more would be lost as the war progressed. The same was true with the Klingons. Starfleet wasn't so willing to allow their enemies to just move into Federation space and murder millions in the name of imperial expansion. As a result, Starfleet sent a force of hundreds of starships to halt the Klingon advance. The entire war lasted three years. The Federation eventually claimed victory, but at a terrible cost. Many systems in both Klingon and Federation space had been devastated in the wake of brutal combat. Some planets had been completely devastated and labeled "uninhabitable." When the treaty ending the war was signed, both the Federation and the Klingon High Council agreed to assist each other in the reconstruction of the Beta Quadrant as a show of peace and friendship between the two factions. As an added measure, the members of the House of Duras in the Klingon High Council were tossed out and discommendated, stripped of their honor. For the next seventeen years, the Klingons and the Federation worked hard to rebuild what they could of the Eta Eridani Sector Block (the Neutral Zone). Progress was slow and difficult as the damage inflicted on many of the systems was unbelievable, but it was progress nonetheless. Progress had also been made in the relations between the Klingon Empire and the Federation. While there were still a few stones that needed polishing, the past seventeen years had been very promising. The Klingons had agreed to open their borders to Federation supply and relief ships and the Federation had done the same, an exchange student program had been set up between the two factions, they had shown cooperation during patrols, exploration missions, etc. and there had even been talks about restoring the alliance that had existed between them before the war began. While this was indeed good news to many in the galaxy, there were some who did not let this all sit well. As the Federation and the Klingons worked to repair the damage from the war, forces were at work that sought to undo it. Though, these forces couldn't possibly foresee their own undoing at the hands of the most unlikely force.

* * *

Sector 001, the Sol System, Earth, Starfleet Academy, just south of Sausalito, California. The day of midterms was drawing close and every student at the Academy was studying harp to pass. The Academy trained its students hard in order to prepare them for their possible careers in Starfleet, a career that was not considered generally easy. Life aboard a Federation starship was an amazing experience, but it wasn't a job to be taken lightly. New Starfleet personnel had to be ready for anything and everything. With so little of the Milky Way galaxy explored and with a history of several major conflicts throughout the 264 year life of the Federation, no one knew exactly what was out there. First contact with a new alien race had unpredictable consequences. Sometimes, the newcomers were greeted by the indigenous people with hospitality and friendship, but others were not so willing to openly welcome visitors from another world. The Romulans had an extensive history of xenophobia, the Klingons viewed any new alien race as a potential enemy, and even Humans, for a while, had a difficult time accepting the fact that they weren't alone in the universe after their first contact with the Vulcans in April, 2063. Also, if a starship was damaged in any way, those who were responsible for maintaining the ship had to know exactly what they were doing. One wrong calculation by an engineer, one misplaced decimal, one incorrect mathematical operation could mean the difference between a stable warp field and a warp core breach. If a virus managed to find its way aboard a starship, the medical officers had to know how to eradicate it before it spread or risk contaminating the whole ship and possibly killing off the whole crew. Original thinking among science and medical officers was highly respected and highly encouraged as not every disease in the galaxy was known. Most if not all of the cadets at Starfleet Academy had plans to serve aboard a starship and they were determined to make sure that their plans followed through. The midterms were worth a decent chunk of their grade and it also allowed their instructors to see where they would be best suited in Starfleet. Though, not all the students were too worried.

Fox McCloud, a freshman at Starfleet Academy, was sitting in the recreation area with two of his friends from Corneria, a planet in the Lylat System located in the Regulus Sector Block and the most recent member of the Federation. Fox was, as his name implies, a male Cornerian red fox, bipedal and about 5'8'' with green eyes. His academy evaluation made him out to be rather professional and an excellent pilot, but a bit cocky. He was born in the Lylat System on the planet of Papetoon, a relatively small planet that was not a Federation member. His father was the famous James McCloud, the leader of the Star Fox team. They rose to fame shortly after the Klingon-Federation War when a maniacal scientist from Corneria, by the name of Andross, attempted to claim control of the entire Lylat system and install his own government. He was stopped by the elite Star Fox team before he could act on his plans when his base of operations on the baron planet of Venom was raided by James McCloud and his three wingmen, Peppy Hare, Andrew Lombardi and Pigma Dengar. During the attack, however, Pigma betrayed the rest of the team for the purpose of turning a bigger profit, which Andross offered. The attack was about to end in failure and James was nearly killed, but he and his wingmen were saved by an old friend of his, Daniel Kavannagh, a Cornerian brown fox, an experienced Starfleet officer, a veteran of the Klingon-Federation War and the commanding officer of the heavy cruiser U.S.S. _Rommel_. Word of the assault on Andross's base had reached his ear and he felt that despite how experienced James and his squadron were, a force of four fighters would not be sufficient for an assault and quickly assembled a decent task force to assist in the raid, bringing four Constitution-class cruisers, two Akira-class heavy escorts and five squadrons of Peregrine Attack Fighters. With Daniel's help, James and his wingmen managed to shoot down Pigma, destroy the base on Venom and place Andross under arrest. Andross was then sent to Facility 4028, the Federation's highest security prison. After the destruction of the facility on Venom, the members of Star Fox were welcomed home as heroes. James of course tried to pass some of the credit to Daniel and his forces, but he declined, stating that he was only there to give James a little nudge in the right direction. Fox was only a few years old at the time. His father's success led Fox to pursue a career in the military. At a young age, he showed remarkable talent in the cockpit of a Cornerian Arwing Mk I and his father encouraged him to build on his talents. Fox's original plan was to attend the Cornerian Flight Academy, but his father persuaded him to apply to Starfleet Academy instead. He told Fox that Starfleet was perfect for him and that with the Federation still exploring the galaxy, there was no telling what kinds of amazing things awaited him out there and even told him that he wished that he had a chance to attend as well. Of course, he left the final decision to Fox and told him that he would be proud of him no matter what. Fox weighed both choices and in the end, Starfleet Academy proved to be more enticing and at age seventeen, he was accepted and was on his way to Earth. He still decided to pursue a career in fighter craft and enrolled in several tactical classes and proved to be quite skilled in all of them. He maintained high grades during his first semester and was looking forward to seeing where his midterms would place him. He hoped that he would be recommended for additional fighter training and, as a matter of fact, so did his instructors. Many of them had never seen such quality work and test results from a freshman before. Some of them predicted that he could be running his own fighter squadron before his time at the Academy expired. Such a chance might even be more possible now with Starfleet enacting a new cadet training program, a subject that Fox and his friends were quite avid about.

Fox had just finished his weapons theory class and was taking some time to relax in the outdoor recreation area with two of his friends, Bill Grey and Falco Lombardi. Bill was a Cornerian grey bulldog and Fox's childhood friend who followed him into applying for Starfleet Academy. He was seventeen years old, the same age as Fox, and was an excellent fighter pilot and a brilliant engineer. He was ranked first in his small-craft engineering class and third in warp theory. His evaluation made him out to be smart, but lazy. Falco Lombardi was an eighteen year old Cornerian blue falcon and the son of James McCloud's wingman, Andrew Lombardi. He too was an excellent fighter pilot and also proved to be a brilliant tactician. However, his evaluation made him out to be rather cocky and a bit too laid back.

"God, am I sick of warp theory class!" Falco said as the three of them talked.

"Why's that?" Fox asked.

"'Cause our instructor friggin' hates me!"

"Who do you have for warp theory?" Bill asked.

"Cashard."

"Surmak Cashard?"

"Yeah, why?"

"He's an awesome instructor. He's gotta be one of the most easy going teachers on campus."

"Well, not for me."

"He's a Bajoran, right?" Fox asked.

"Yeah, I have his class next."

"I don't get how you do so well in that class," Falco replied.

"Maybe you should try staying awake while he's giving lectures? I don't know."

"What? Dude, I always stay awake during class."

Fox chuckled at Falco's claim.

"Something funny there, Foxy?" Falco asked.

"Buddy, I sit next to you in Earth History and Calculus and more than half the time I look over and you're snoring in you chair," Fox retorted. "I wouldn't be surprised if you fell asleep during gym."

"Ah shut up, Fox," Falco said, giving Fox a playful shove. "And for the record, I'm ranked first in my gym class."

"That I won't argue with," Bill said. "I've even seen you give James a run for his money."

"Yeah, Jim's pretty good, but being born with green blood doesn't mean you're the best at everything," Falco replied eliciting a laugh from Fox and Bill.

"Well, you do realize that he can still kick your ass with a lirpa, right?" Fox said.

"I won't argue against that. In fact that's something that I'm still trying to live down," Falco replied.

"By the way, where is James?"

"Oh yeah, he wanted me to let you know that he's practicing melee combat on the holodecks and that he'll be a bit late today," Bill answered.

"Oh, okay. That's probably the midterm he has to worry about the most. What are you guys worried about?"

"I think I'm most worried about my tactical tests. I tell you what, I'm good at building things, not so much at blowing them up," Bill answered, causing Fox and Falco to chuckle.

"I'm dreading my engineering tests, but I think you guys already figured that out," Falco said, eliciting another chuckle.

"How 'bout you Fox?" Bill asked.

"I'd have to say any one of my science tests. Not entirely a fan of those classes," Fox replied.

"No kidding. I'd rather spend my time in those classes looking over the engines on one of those new Odyssey-class cruisers. I was looking at the schematics of one of those babies. Oh man, would l love to get a look under that hood."

"Well, just don't break it," Falco retorted, getting a laugh out of Fox and Bill.

"Speaking of which, have you guys looked up the details of that new training program?" Fox asked.

"The S.F.C.T.C.? Yeah, I did. Sounds like one hell of an opportunity," Bill replied.

"No kidding. D'you think freshman are allowed to participate?"

"I dunno. I didn't see anything that said they couldn't, but then again it's a completely new program and I don't think they've established all the guidelines yet. I sure hope they don't exclude freshmen."

It was then that they were approached by four other cadets, all of them female Cornerians and all of them friends of the three Cornerian boys. One of them was a Cornerian lynx named Miyu Lynx, a few months younger than Bill and somewhere between Fox and Bill's height, daughter of a test pilot in the Cornerian Defence Force. One was a pink Cornerian cat named Katt Monroe, a seventeen-and-a-half-year-old about Fox's height and daughter of the head of the Federation Research Department at Memory Alpha, one was a white Cornerian collie named Fay Spaniel, the youngest and shortest of the group at sixteen years old and a few inches shorter than Fox and the daughter of Adam Spaniel, Daniel Kavannagh's first officer aboard the U.S.S. _Rommel_. She also had a head of long white hair that dropped down to the base of he shoulders. Cornerians typically only had fur, but some Cornerians (maybe twenty percent or so) actually had hair and it was more common among females. She also wore a distinctive red bow in her hair. The last one was a Cornerian fennec fox named Fara Phoenix, the daughter of William Phoenix, CEO of Corneria Space Dynamics Inc. and the second youngest and second shortest of the girls, having just turned seventeen and standing just an inch or two taller than Fay. Her fur was a shade or two lighter than Fox's and her ears sat at a lower angle that Fox's as well.

"Hi boys," Fara said.

"Oh, uh, hey Fara," Fox replied, blushing a bit.

"Mind if we sit with you guys?"

"Um, sure. Take a seat."

The four of them sat down and began chatting with the boys. As they all expected, Bill and Miyu began flirting with each other immediately and the others decided to let them talk alone as when they started talking and flirting with each other, they lost sense of everything and everyone around them. Katt tried making a few passes at Falco, but his attention stayed on the actual conversation, much to Katt's disappointment. Fox and Fara continued talking, but seemed a bit nervous around each other.

"So, Fox, um…how are, uh, how are your pilot classes?" Fara asked

"Uh, they're okay. There're a few things that I could improve on," Fox replied.

"A few things you could improve on?" Falco said. "This guy's first in his class. You should see his simulator scores."

"Really? I take it they're pretty high?"

"2510. He's beaten the Academy record."

"Oh my God! I've never met anyone that skilled! Your instructors must be proud."

"Well, there are still a few loose ends I need to tie up. My flying isn't exactly perfect," Fox said, trying to stay modest.

"Oh come one, Fox, don't sell yourself short. 2510? That's a great score," Fara replied.

"Thanks, Fara," Fox said with a sheepish smile.

"Hey guys, does anyone know where James is?" Fay asked.

"Yeah, I was wondering the same thing. He's almost always with you guys," Fara added.

"Oh, yeah, Bill told us that he's gonna be a bit late today. He's practicing melee combat on the holodecks," Fox said.

"Oh, okay," Fay replied.

"Yeah, I've only known him to do outside work on his physical ed classes. He's doing just fine in everything else."

"I can only imagine. He's been pretty amazing in Starship Operations," Fay said, the red in her cheeks showing through her snow-white fur as she praised the cadet.

"On a similar note, have you girls heard about the S.F.C.T.C.?"

"S.F.C.T.C.?" Fara asked.

"The Starfleet Cadet Training Corps. It's a new program for cadets to get on-the-job training."

"On-the-job training? You mean on a starship?" Katt asked.

"Yeah. The guys and I have been looking it over. Cadets with good enough grades and evaluations can actually serve on board a Federation ship."

"Woah, that sounds like an amazing opportunity," Fara said.

"Yeah, no kidding."

"I wonder if freshmen are allowed to participate," Fay said.

"Yeah, we were talking about that just before you girls joined us. I think Bill did the most research," Falco added.

"What?" Bill finally said. The rest of them laughed as he decided to join in the conversation.

"We were talking about the S.F.C.T.C.," Fox said.

"Oh, yeah. Have you heard about that at all, Miyu?"

"Yeah I have," Miyu replied. "Sounds like an awesome program."

"Yeah, well we were wondering if freshmen were excluded," Fay said.

"Well, I didn't see anything in the description that said they weren't allowed. I sure hope they're not."

"You said it," Miyu said. "Working with those simulators in warp theory only work so well. I'm itching to work on a real one."

"Just keep an eye on Bill here," Falco said. "We can't afford to have him blow up any new ships."

Miyu chuckled at Falco's remark. "Don't worry. I will," she replied winking at Bill who replied with a smile.

At that point the group was met by an unwelcomed guest as an Andorian cadet grabbed Fox's collar and lifted him to his feet.

"You have a debt to pay me, McCloud!" the Andorian said with a cold voice.

"What the hell are you doing!?" Falco said standing up.

"Quiet, bird! Your friend here has crimes to pay for."

"What are you, Federation security or something?" Katt said.

"And for that matter, what crimes are you talking about?" Miyu added. "He's been here for less than a semester and he has a clean record."

"I'm not talking about crimes against the Academy or Starfleet," the Andorian replied. "I'm talking about personal crimes."

"What are you talking about?" Fox said. "I don't even know you."

"Which makes your crimes even more serious in my opinion. My father was killed in the Klingon War. He and his ship were among the first casualties in the opening invasion."

His statement left Fox rather confused. "Okay, so what does that have to do with me?"

"Your father just so happens to be a close friend of Kalpak, the Klingon scum who's responsible for my father's demise. Your father is a conspirator with the enemy."

"The enemy?" Fara said. "The Klingon-Federation War is over! We've been at peace with the Klingons for almost twenty years! In case you haven't noticed, there are Klingon cadets here at the Academy! On top of that, the War ended before most of us were even born! Forgive me, but I don't see how your father's death is Fox's fault!"

The others were shocked at Fara's outburst. She was usually pretty calm and reserved and it was really rare to see her angry. They were also shocked at the fact that she was saying these things to an Andorian, considering that an Andorian could easily inflict a lot of damage on a Cornerian, even if they were in a _good_ mood. The Andorian cadet glared down at Fara and she felt her heart sink as he turned to face her, though all he did was snicker.

"You Cornerians are all alike, aren't you? So pathetic, so arrogant. But you, you're the epitome of Cornerian scum. So small, so weak, and so willing to stand up for criminals. You should have stayed on that ridiculous planet of yours. You and your race have no place among us."

"Hey!" Fox shouted. "Leave her alone! She has nothing to do with any of this! And besides, if there's anyone you doesn't belong here, it's you! One bad thing happens to you and what do you do? You look for a scapegoat instead of letting it go! I'm sorry about your father's death, but you need to wake up! The War is over! The Klingons aren't out enemies anymore! And for the record, my father is a great man! A greater man than you'll ever be!"

With that, the Andorian threw a punch across Fox's face, sending him reeling back and onto the ground. Soon, a full fight between the two cadets broke out and a crowd of cadets gathered around them. Fara, Falco, Bill and Miyu tried to stop the fight, but there was no way to intervene without taking a blow from the Andorian. After a few minutes, the Andorian threw a final swing across Fox's face, sending him to the ground. Fara quickly ran over to help him up. His face was badly bruised, his nose was bleeding and his breathing was heavy. She rolled him over to see that he was having a difficult time staying conscious.

"Come on, Fox. Stay with me," Fara whispered, patting his face, trying to keep him awake. The Andorian stood over her.

"Move out of the way, vixen, unless you want to join him in sickbay."

That's when Fara saw a hand covered in brown fur reach above the Andorian's shoulder and pinch the spot just between the neck and the collar bone. The Andorian's eyelids widened for a moment before his eyes rolled back and he collapsed. As he fell, Fara saw who it was that subdued him. He was a Cornerian brown fox, the same age and about the same height as Fox was. He analyzed the Andorian cadet before raising his eyebrow and letting out a succinct, "Hmm."

He then walked over to Fox, who was regaining consciousness, and offered his hand. Fox smiled and took it.

"Thanks, James," Fox said as he was pulled to his feet. James smiled and nodded in response. James Sypaak Kavannagh was a freshman at the Academy, like Fox. The two met through their parents. James was the son of Daniel Kavannagh, the Starfleet officer who helped James McCloud destroy Andross's base on Venom. James Kavannagh proved to be an excellent leader and tactical officer.

They were approached by a number of Academy officers who took a few moments to examine the scene. They examined Fox's bruised face, the worried look on Fara's face, James brushing off Fox's uniform and the collapsed Andorian on the ground.

"Do you know this cadet?" one of the officers asked Fox, gesturing to the Andorian.

"No, sir," Fox said.

"And you?" they asked James.

"I am not familiar with this cadet, sir," James replied in a rather formal tone of voice.

"Could we take you two aside for questioning?"

"Yes, sir," Fox and James replied together.

"Good. Lieutenant, take this one to sickbay."

The lieutenant in question and another officer lifted the Andorian and carried him to sickbay as Fox and James were led to the commandant's office for questioning.

* * *

"So, maybe you could tell me how this all happened, Cadet McCloud," the commandant said to Fox.

"Well, sir, I was sitting in the outdoor recreation area with six other friends when that Andorian cadet, whatever his name is-"

"His name is Cadet Tholis Sharo."

"Fine. Cadet Sharo came up to me and began to verbally attack my friends and me. He blamed me for his father's death during the Klingon-Federation War because my father is friends with the Klingon commander responsible. My friend, Cadet Fara Phoenix tried to stand up for me, but Cadet Sharo began to verbally assault her. I tried to defend her, but Cadet Sharo threw a punch across my face. I only acted out of self-defense."

The commandant listened to this attentively. He had looked up Fox's record before the questioning began to see if he had any history of insubordination, but could find none. He didn't fully believe that Fox would intentional start a fight, but he couldn't trust his word alone. That when the questions turned to James.

"Cadet Kavannagh, is Cadet McCloud's story true?"

"It is an accurate description, sir," James replied, still in his formal tone of voice.

"Could you please give your account of what happened?"

"Yes, sir. I was on the holodeck, working on refining my skills at unarmed hand-to-hand combat. My intentions were to meet Cadet McCloud and several other cadets in the outdoor recreation area when I had finished. As I exited the holodecks and entered the recreation area, I spotted Cadet Sharo confronting Cadet McCloud. I heard him blame the cadet for his father's death and make the illogical argument that the blame fell on Cadet McCloud because of his father's acquaintance with the Klingon commander, Kalpak."

"You heard him say that? Where were you standing when this all started?"

"Just outside these doors near the entrance to the building, sir. Cadet McCloud and the others were approximately twenty-five meters from my position."

"And you _heard_ him say that?"

"If you will look at my record, sir, you will find that a number of my senses are more acute than those of an average Cornerian, including hearing."

"That's right, I forgot. Anyway, please continue."

"Cadet Phoenix did come to Cadet McCloud's aid and Cadet Sharo began to verbally assault her. McCloud came to her aid, but said nothing that would provoke Cadet Sharo any more than he already was. Sharo then physically assaulted Cadet McCloud. If you would review Academy security surveillance camera 3-A, which covers the area in which the fight took place, you will observe that Cadet McCloud did not make any attempt to initiate a counterattack and acted purely out of self-defense. As Cadet McCloud fell to the ground, I managed to make my way through the…'audience' and subdue Cadet Sharo before he inflicted more harm on McCloud, as he clearly intended to do so."

"Can you explain to me how you subdued him?"

"I applied a Vulcan nerve pinch. The cadet should suffer no permanent damage and will awaken in approximately two hours. However, that is not the issue at hand. I assume that the purpose of this hearing is to determine due punishment. I intend to defend Cadet McCloud in this matter. Cadet Sharo was the perpetrator of this incident and Cadet McCloud speaks truthfully of his role in this conflict and there is evidence to support his claim. To inflict punishment on a cadet for acting out of self-defense would be illogical."

The commandant pondered James' argument for a few moments before nodding his head.

"I suppose you're right. Thank you for time, cadets. Cadet McCloud, I suggest you report to sickbay to take care of those bruises."

"Yes, sir," Fox replied and saluted the commandant before he and James exited the office.

"Thanks for getting me out of that one, James. If you hadn't shown up when did, I'd probably be part of the pavement," Fox said.

"So, does Falco still say that 'being born with green blood' doesn't have its advantages?" James said with a smile, his tone more casual now.

"Something like that."

"If he was in my position I think he'd beg to differ. Being part Vulcan certainly does have its advantages. And I should remind him that my blood is in fact red." Fox and James laughed at the remark and James patted Fox on the back. "Always glad to help you out, buddy."

"Also, thanks for backing me up in front of the commandant back there. That's one of the things I envy about you, how you can just bury your emotions like that."

"Well, that skill didn't just appear overnight. It took years of discipline. Still, I'd say the results were worth it."

Fox and James reached sickbay where Fox's bruises and damaged nose were healed. With medical technology improved since the 24th Century, Fox's wounds were healed remarkably quickly. He was dismissed from sickbay within five minutes.

"So, you're sure you've never met Sharo?" James asked Fox as they walked back to the group.

"Never. He just came over to us and decided to start a fight. Seriously, that guy has a few problems."

"Well, the Andorians were never the most agreeable of species. Before the Federation, they were extremely imperialistic."

"It certainly shows," Fox joked.

"Well, I have a feeling we won't see him again anytime soon."

They returned to the recreation area where the others were waiting for him. Fara immediately ran up to Fox and hugged him, much to Fox's surprise.

"Fox, are you alright? Does anything hurt? What did the commandant say?" Fara immediately asked. Fox chuckled at Fara's avid concern.

"I'm fine, Fara. The commandant just wanted to know exactly what happened. James backed me up."

Fara turned her attention to James.

"Thanks helping him out, James."

"No problem at all," James replied with a smile.

"Man, talk about a one hit wonder!" Bill said.

"I guess having green blood _does_ have a few perks," Falco said.

"Did I actually here a compliment out of you?" James said.

"Don't get used to it."

The group chuckled at Falco's remark. "I don't intend to, and need I remind you that I have red blood. I'm only one fourth Vulcan."

The group decided to resume their previous discussion as, even with the fight, they still had about half an hour till their next classes. They took their original spot around the outdoor table that they were sitting at before Cadet Sharo initiated the fight. They all gathered around and Fay took a spot next to James.

"H-hi, James," Fay said as she blushed.

"Oh, uh…h-hey there, Fay," James said with a sheepish smile, heat rushing to his own cheeks.

Fox and Fara looked at the two obviously love-struck cadets before grinning at each other.

"Hey James, have you heard about that new training program?" Fara asked. "The, uh, S.T. something?"

"The S.F.C.T.C.? Yeah I have heard about that. I've even done some research on it. Sounds pretty interesting."

"We were wondering if freshmen were allowed to participate," Fay said.

"Well, I didn't see anything in the regulations that said they couldn't. In fact I didn't see anything about age limits at all. I think the only condition is that you have to be a Starfleet cadet."

"Wouldn't it be awesome if any of us were chosen for it?" Katt said.

"Fat chance," Falco said. "You have to have unbelievable grades and I doubt freshmen would be the first place Starfleet command would look for those grades, not that they'd probably find much."

"I suppose you speak from experience?" Fox retorted, causing the rest of them to laugh.

"Oh, laugh it up," Falco said, rolling his eyes.

"Well, in my opinion, if anyone has a chance of participating, it's Fox here," James said. "A little bird told me that you got 2510 on the Peregrine simulators."

"I still have some things I need to work on. Besides, you have just as good a chance of participating as me."

"Well, like you, I still have a few loose ends to tie up myself. I don't think I'm really all that cut out for a starship just yet anyway."

"Come on, James. You're amazing in Starship Operations class. You'd do great," Fay said.

James smiled and gave Fay a little nudge with his arm. "Thanks, Fay."

The cadets continued their conversation for the remainder of their time on different topics. Bill and Miyu continued flirting, Falco, Katt Fox and Fara created their own little group, and James and Fay were left to talk between each other, both of them enjoying their conversation.

"So, um, h-how are your classes?" James asked.

"Um, they're okay. My grades in my tactical classes could use some improvement though," Fay replied, twirling her white hair in her fingers.

"Well, if you ever need any help, just let me know."

"Thanks. I'll let you know."

"Anytime."

Fay then noticed James' hand on the table and began to inch her hand closer to his as they continued talking.

"So, are there, uh, any midterms that you're worried about at all?" Fay asked.

"Well, that was sort of the reason I was late meeting up with you guys. I'm…a little rusty in unarmed hand-to-hand combat."

"Oh, but aren't Vulcans usually three time stronger than Cornerians?"

"Once again-"

"I know, you're only one fourth Vulcan, but I thought you still had Vulcan strength."

"I do, but the instructors are looking for technique, not just strength."

"Oh. We'll, I'm sure you'll do just fine."

"Thanks. Any midterms that you're worried about?"

"Well, there are a few things in Earth History that I'm worried about."

"Really? That's one of your best subjects."

"Yeah, it's just some of the military history that I'm having trouble with."

"Oh. Well, I've seen how fast you pick things up and how well you remember them. Just give those chapters another look. You're a really smart girl. I know you'll do well."

"Thanks, James."

James then felt something against his hand and looked down and saw that Fay's hand was touching his. He gave Fay a warm smile causing her to look down and blush. Then, to her surprise, James wrapped his hand around hers and gave it a comforting squeeze. They continued talking about miscellaneous things, still hand in hand and completely unaware that the others were watching them until Fox cleared his throat. The two looked up and realized that they were watching. They quickly retracted their hands causing the rest of them to give them a friendly laugh. The bell then sounded for the cadets to report to their respective classes.

"Alright, well, I'm off to Warp Theory. Catch you guys later," Bill said.

"Okay, later Bill," Fox said.

"And I'm off to Weapons Training," Falco said.

"Alright. See you later," Fara said.

"And Katt and I better get to Field Medicine."

"Okay, see you later then," Fay replied.

"Take it easy, Fay. You too, James," Katt said with a wink. James and Fay both blushed at Katt's comment, eliciting a smile from both Fox and Fara.

"Well, we'd all better get to Starship Operations," Fox said.

"Good idea," James replied. The four of them stood up and headed off to their class. As they walked on, James slipped his hand into Fay's and they continued toward their class hand in hand.

* * *

**So, yeah, no real action yet. Just a day in the life of a Starfleet cadet. Please leave reviews and comments, and don't worry, the other characters will be looked at in greater detail as the story progresses. The first few chapters will focus mainly on Fox, James, Fara and Fay. If you leave a review, please…no flames.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2: Battle Simulations**

The four cadets continued walking and Fara couldn't help but notice James and Fay walking alongside each other hand in hand. The two had known each other since they could walk and it was more than obvious that they had feelings for each other, so why was it that they weren't a couple yet? Fara nudged Fox's arm to get his attention.

"Look at those two," Fara mused. "I still don't understand how those two aren't together yet."

"Neither can I," Fox replied with a brief chuckle. "How long have they known each other?"

"According to Fay, since they were five or six years old."

"That long, huh?"

"Yeah, and after all that time, neither one of them has built up the courage to ask the other one out."

"Well, their feelings for each other are kind of a recent thing, aren't they?"

"Well, yeah, I guess they are, but still, they've known each other long enough. Besides, they seem pretty comfortable around each other as it is."

"I suppose you're right. Well, I guess we'll just have to wait and see what happens."

"Hey, well maybe you could help speed things up."

"How's that?"

"Maybe give James a little pep talk or something like that? Get him to ask her out."

Fox shook his head at the suggestion. "I could never convince James to do anything. I swear he can be as stubborn as a mule sometimes. Best to just let things unfold by themselves."

"Well, from what I'm seeing, looks like it might happen pretty soon."

Fox chuckled at Fara's speculation and the two continued on. Fara kept looking back to James and Fay and saw that they were still hand in hand. She then turned her attention to Fox's hand, which was hanging freely while his other hand was in his pocket. She wanted so much to take hold of his hand, but was too afraid of how Fox would react. Would he react how James did when Fay reached for his hand or would he resist her touch? Before she even finished mulling it over, she found that her hand was already moving toward Fox's, though, before it made contact with his hand, Fox, looked over to see what Fara was doing. She noticed his gaze and quickly retracted her hand, immediately turning her head away as heat rushed to her cheeks. Fox smiled at the sight and he wrapped his arm around Fara's waist and gave her a quick friendly pull. Fara smiled at Fox's gesture, the red still visible in her cheeks.

The group finally reached their class to find the room empty, as usual. The four of them always arrived about fifteen or twenty minutes ahead of schedule, even though they were told to report to class only a few minutes earlier. Their instructor, a male Human by the name of Rory Catlow, had two intersecting classes, one of them being, of course, Starship Operations, and the other one being Infinitesimal Calculus, a subject that was recommended for seniors going into a career as fighter pilots or Starfleet engineers who had plans to serve aboard a starship, and a class the Fox would eventually have to take. Infinitesimal Calculus extended throughout midday recreation and about a half-hour past. This gave Fox, Fara, James and Fay plenty of time to get to class and a bit of time to do some outside work.

The four entered the classroom and made their way to their seats. Fox and James sat one row behind the front of the class and Fara and Fay sat just two rows behind them. As Fox and James took their seats, they immediately set to work.

"So, James, I'm having some trouble understanding the shield systems of a Galor-class," Fox said.

"Okay, what sort of trouble?" James replied.

"Just how to collapse their shields. I've tried a hundred times on the simulator, but they're pretty resilient."

"Okay, I think I might be able to help you out. I ran into the same problem too."

James then activated the computer panel in front of him.

"Computer, download schematics for a Cardassian Galor-class battle cruiser."

"_Download complete,"_ the computer replied. James then tilted the screen in an upright position so Fox could see.

"The Galor-class tends to have pretty weak ventral shielding," James said, pointing to the figure on the right side of the screen, showing the underside of the cruiser. "I found that an overcharged phaser shot right around the portside stern, here, causes a fluctuation in the rest of the ventral shield. Their emitter array is usually located just a few meters from the main engines. If you can weaken their ventral shields and make a hit on their emitters quickly enough, you can cause a massive fluctuation in the rest of their shielding system. From there, all you have to do is keep hitting them with phasers and finish them off with a high yield photon torpedo salvo."

"Okay, I think I've got it," Fox replied. "I'll be sure to keep that in mind."

"Good. Now, if you could give me a hand with some of the targeting systems."

"Sure. What do you need?"

"Well, I'm trying to figure out how to successfully set targets for a torpedo spread. I can never hit the right systems."

"Alright, let's take a look here. Computer, download schematics of a Jem'hadar Escort Carrier."

"_Download complete."_

"Okay, so, Jem'hadar ships have probably the heaviest shielding systems out of any species that the Federation has encountered, but I figured out a few tricks to break down their shields with a good torpedo spread. The spots you wanna aim for are the main bridge, the warp reactor, the external engines, and three sections on the hull, here, right in front of the main bridge, here, just a few meters from the hangar bay and here, just above the port disruptor array."

"Wait, why do I want to target those spots on the hull? They don't look like they house any vital systems."

"You're not targeting the hull itself. You'll be hitting the shield. If you those six spots on the shield simultaneously, it'll cause a massive fluctuation. Once you do that, hit the port shield with another torpedo and the entire system oughta collapse. After that, they're sitting ducks."

"Huh," James said. "I never thought of that. I'll have to give that a run on the simulator."

As the two boys talked, Fara and Fay just sat and watched them, marveling at how avid they were about their work.

"It's amazing how talented they are, isn't it?" Fara asked, her gaze still on Fox.

"It sure is," Fay replied. "I can't believe James thinks he isn't cut out for that training program."

"Speaking of James," Fara added, "I couldn't help but notice that you two seemed pretty comfortable in each other's company on your way here today."

Fay began to blush heavily when she heard Fara's comment. "Well, uh…we…we, um…"

Fara laughed at Fay's stuttered response as Fay continued to blush. "It's okay, Fay. I'm not trying to embarrass you or anything. James is a great guy, and you two would make a really cute couple."

"Thanks, Fara," Fay replied with a smile. "And also, I wanna ask, what about you and Fox?"

Fara's eyes widened and she began to blush when Fay asked. "What…what about us?"

"Come on, Fara. James and I saw you two while we were walking. You two seem to kinda like each other too. Besides, I heard from Katt that you've had a crush on him for a few years."

"Shh! Fay, not so loud!" Fara quickly replied.

"What?"

"Remember, James has Vulcan hearing. If he hears us, he can tell Fox everything."

Fay and Fara looked over at the two boys and were relieved when they saw that they were still hard at work, studying nearly every system of every starship in the Federation databanks. Fara turned back to Fay and began to whisper.

"Okay. I have had a bit of a crush on Fox for a while. I've kinda felt this way about him for maybe two years," Fara said in a soft tone.

"Really? Why haven't you said anything?"

"Well, I'm kinda waiting for him to say something first. I don't wanna ruin our friendship if I tell him and he doesn't feel the same way."

"Are you kidding me?" Fay laughed. "The way he acts around you, the way he looks at you? Come on Fara. He likes you."

"Well, in any case I want to wait for him to say something first."

"Fair enough. I guess it is more traditional for the guy to ask the girl out first. Well, I hope things work out for you," Fay said as she winked at her friend.

"By the way, how long have you had a crush on James?"

"Oh, well…a bit longer than you actually."

"Really? How long?"

Fay blushed from embarrassment before speaking up. "Since I was about eleven."

"Woah! And you're telling _me_ to talk to Fox?" Fara laughed, giving Fay a little nudge. The red in Fay's cheeks remained as she gave a sheepish smile.

"I know. I probably shouldn't be talking. It's just…I don't know what it is about him. Every time I'm around him I feel like my knees are gonna give in. I had to work pretty hard just to get to class with him."

"I can imagine with the two of you holding hands like that," Fara said playfully. "Have you said anything to him yet? About how you feel about him?"

"Not yet," Fay replied regretfully. "I just don't know how I would say it."

"Well, with the way I've seen him act around you, I don't think it'll be too long before something happens between the two of you."

Fay smiled at her friend's words. "Thanks, Fara."

Soon, more cadets began entering the room and the class was full within five minutes. As soon as everyone had taken their seats, their instructor, Rory Catlow entered the class.

"Good afternoon, cadets."

"Afternoon, sir," the room replied in unison in respect to the instructor's rank.

"Well, cadets, I have decided that since we don't have very much new material to cover today and since your midterms are tomorrow, this class will be used as a study hall period. That doesn't mean you can just socialize with friends. I expect everyone to be working on something either for this class or for any other class. The simulators will be available if any of you wish to use them." Fox and James' ears perked at the sound of that. They were very avid about getting as much time as they could on the simulators, but they seldom got a chance to work on them and the holodecks weren't always free either. "So everyone get to work. If you have any questions, please feel free to ask."

As soon as he finished speaking, every cadet set to work. Fox and James knew exactly what to do with their time and immediately began downloading schematics of several different ships for the simulators, including the Klingon Negh'var warbird, the Romulan D'deridex battleship, Cardassian Galor-class and Keldon-class battle cruisers, the Jem'hadar Dreadnaught carrier and the Borg cube. Their instructor walked by them as they were downloading the schematics.

"Well, boys, are you planning on doing something resourceful with those schematics?" Catlow asked.

"We were planning on using the simulators sir," Fox replied.

"Alright then." Catlow then looked at the schematics that they were downloading. "A Klingon battle cruiser? You two know that the Klingon-Federation War is over, right?"

"Yes, sir, however the Klingon Empire was allied with the Federation before the outbreak of the war. It is logical to assume that such an incident could possibly occur again," James replied

"Hmm. I suppose so. Well, I'll let you two get back to work then."

"Thank you, sir," the two cadets said in unison.

Catlow then made his way up the rows and made it to where Fara and Fay were sitting and saw them rummaging through their data files.

"Well, ladies, what do you plan on working on?"

"Oh, well, we're trying to find something to work on. We're just going through what we need to improve on," Fara replied. As Fox and James were planning to head to the next building for their simulator training, they stopped and saw the two girls aimlessly digging through their files.

"You wanna see if they'd like to come along?" James asked.

"Sure, why not?" Fox replied. "Fara, Fay," he called.

"Yeah?" they replied in unison.

"James and I are heading to the simulators. We were wondering, do you wanna come along?"

The two looked at each other for a moment before Fara replied, "Sure. Thanks."

The two girls gathered their things and followed Fox and James to the simulators. Once again, James and Fay grasped each other's hands as they made their way to the building situated across the Academy complex. Fox and Fara walked close to each other, but again, Fara's nerves wouldn't let her take hold of her crush's hand that was hanging freely at his side.

"So, um…what exactly are we gonna be doing on the simulators?" Fara asked.

"Well, James and I downloaded some schematics of a few ships that we wanna try our skills against," Fox said, "but if you ladies have any other ships that you'd like to go against, we'll gladly add them to the list."

Fara and Fay gave each other a quick look to see if either of them had anything else in mind, but neither of them made a request.

"I think we'll be fine," Fay said. "So, what ships are we going up against?"

"Fox and I downloaded the schematics for a Borg Cube, a Jem'hadar Dreadnaught Carrier, Cardassian Galor-class and Keldon-class battle cruisers, a Romulan D'deridex Battleship and a Klingon Negh'var warbird," James replied.

"So basically all the most powerful starships that Starfleet has ever come across," Fay smirked.

"That's about the size of it. Think you ladies are up to the challenge?" Fox replied.

Fara giggled and gave Fox a playful smack on the arm. "Against those ships, you're gonna need bridge officers like us just to get past the first wave."

Fox and James chuckled at Fara's response.

"No arguments here," James said. "Two brilliant science officers like you, we'd surely be grateful to have you on the bridge. Well, _I'd_ be grateful to have you on the bridge at least."

"What do you mean by that?" Fay asked, a bit confused.

"Fox is gonna be taking the Peregrine simulators while I take the cruiser."

"Oh, well, uh…w-would you mind if I act as your wingman, Fox?" Fara asked bashfully.

"Um…sure, that'd be cool," Fox replied.

"You okay with staying on the bridge, Fay?" James asked.

"Yeah," she replied with a quick nod and a cute smile that elicited a smile from James.

"Okay, so which ship do you guys wanna go against first?" Fox asked.

"How about we start with the Cardassians?" Fara suggested.

"Okay, sounds good to me. You guys wanna go against the Keldon-class or the Galor-class first?"

"Let's do the Keldon-class first. Best to start out with a bit of a challenge."

"Sounds good to me. Fay?"

"No arguments here," Fay replied.

"James?"

"Sounds logical," James said. Fay smiled at him and gave his hand a playful squeeze, which James returned.

They continued their way through the building that housed the simulators. They navigated their way through the hall ways, past several doors, until they reached two doors that were labeled "Simulator Deck 1: Starships" and "Simulator Deck 2: Small Craft". James and Fay entered through the first door and entered a large room which contained several individual simulation decks, each one programmed to emulate a different starship. They made their way toward the simulator programmed to emulate a Stargazer-class heavy cruiser. James approached a console next to the door and input the necessary authorization code.

"_Identity confirmed: Kavannagh, James Sypaak; Cadet 4__th__ Class," _the computer voiced_._

James reached into his pocket and pulled out one of the memory chips that he and Fox used to download the schematics of the ships they would be fighting and inserted it into the console.

"Computer, upload schematics for a Cardassian Keldon-class battle cruiser," James commanded.

"_Upload complete. Please specify the parameters of the simulation."_

"Location: Bajor high orbit. Enemy strength: one Keldon-class battle cruiser with a fighter escort. Link simulator with Peregrine Simulator Grid Number One."

"_Please specify the design of the Cardassian fighter escort."_

"Upload preexisting database on Cardassian small craft."

"_Upload complete."_

The console monitor began to display a number of both Cardassian and Dominion small craft, as the Cardassians were allied with the Founders during the greater part of the Dominion War in the late 24th Century. James and Fay scrolled through the options, looking for something that would provide the greatest challenge. They then found the schematics for the Cardassian Hideki-class frigate. It certainly looked like it could give Fox a run for his money and a chance to impress Fara with his piloting skills.

"Computer, download schematics for the Cardassian Hideki-class frigate and set as an escort for the Keldon-class cruiser," James said

"_Please specify the size of the escort."_

"Three attack wings."

"_Download complete. Linking with Peregrine Simulator Grid Number One…Program complete. You may enter when ready."_

The door to the simulation deck opened, revealing an exact replica of a standard Stargazer bridge.

"Ladies first," James said as he held out his hand to Fay. The young collie smiled and gladly placed her hand in his.

"You're such a gentleman, James," Fay replied with another adorable smile on her face as James 'helped' her onto the bridge. The step up was only a few inches. Once on the bridge, the computer immediately replicated a full bridge crew with a spot open for Fay at the science station.

Meanwhile, Fox and Fara were inputting all their information for the Peregrine simulators.

"Computer, what is the link status of Peregrine Simulator Grid Number One?" Fox asked.

"_Peregrine Simulator Grid one is currently linked with Starship Deck Three: Stargazer-class."_

"Copy and download all program information from Starship Deck Three to Peregrine Grid One."

"_Download complete. Location: Bajor high orbit. Enemy strength: Cardassian Keldon-class battle cruiser. Escorted by three attack wings of Cardassian Hideki-class frigates."_

"Computer, add one extra wing of Peregrine fighters to Starfleet's roster."

_"Adding one full attack wing.__..Program complete. You may enter when ready."_

As the computer finished speaking, two capsules that resembled Peregrine fighter cockpits opened. Fox and Fara walked over to one of the cockpits and Fox held out his hand for the young fennec fox.

"May I offer you my assistance, milady?" Fox said with an exaggerated bow. Fara laughed at the young cadet's exaggerated gentlemanly gesture.

"Why thank you, noble sir," Fara replied, eliciting a smile from both of them as Fox helped her into the cockpit before entering his own fighter. They both closed the canopies and suddenly they appeared in the hangar of a Stargazer-class starship. They then heard James voice come across the communications system.

"Fox, Fara, this is Captain Kavannagh. Do you copy?"

Fox looked over at Fara's cockpit and she gave him a thumbs up.

"We read you loud and clear, James," Fox replied.

"Very good. We will be in orbit over Bajor in approximately two minutes," James said, the formal tone in his voice evident, his emotions suppressed. "I am reading an additional wing of Peregrine fighters in the hangar bay? I take it that is of your doing?"

"You really expect one fighter wing to get the best of three wings of Hideki frigates?" Fara said. "And provide support against a Keldon-class?"

"…I do suppose those were rather long odds. Though, even with an extra fighter wing, I still predict that this simulation should provide a decent challenge."

"Agreed," Fox replied. "What's our current ETA?"

"One minute thirty seconds. I suggest you prepare your fighters for launch."

"We'll get right to it. Good luck up there, captain. McCloud out."

Fox closed the communications and prepped his fighter for combat as did Fara.

"All fighter craft, prepare you ships for launch. ETA, forty-five seconds."

As soon as Fox gave the order, each of his 'wingmen' began to prepare their fighters for the upcoming battle. Fox kept thinking about how this would play out in front of Fara. He certainly didn't want to make a fool out of himself after she heard that he had beaten the Academy record. He was definitely determined to show her how he managed to acquire that score. Soon they felt the ship drop out of warp and the hangar doors opened for them. Fox ignited his thrusters and led the charge out of the ship's hangar.

"All craft, assume attack formations. Stay close to the ship," Fox ordered.

Fox and Fara managed to get a good look at the starship that James and Fay were commanding. The Stargazer-class was a bit different from most of the typical Starfleet designs. The saucer section had more of an elliptical shape to it, similar to the saucer section of a Sovereign-class cruiser, only the Stargazer's saucer was much shorter. Plus, the Stargazer had four nacelles rather than the usual two. On top of that, the nacelles, pylons, and strut were all situated snuggly against the ship's hull, giving the ship a compact yet heavy look to it. Painted in bold black letters on the hull were the words USS _Valiant_. She was an impressive vessel and could certainly pack a punch. Though, most of that punch would be directed at the Cardassian cruiser. It would be Fox and Fara's Job to protect them from the fighters.

As the fighters took their positions, James and Fay prepared for battle on the bridge of their cruiser.

"Have the long range sensors detected anything yet, Miss Spaniel?" James said, holding his formal tone of voice.

"Nothing yet, captain," Fay replied. "I suggest we take to a higher orbit. We might have a better chance of detecting something."

"Helmsman, bring us into a higher orbit, three quarter impulse, bearing 287.94," James commanded. "Fox, we'll be moving into a higher orbit. Keep your fighters close to the ship."

"Aye, captain," Fox replied.

"Course laid in, sir," said the holographic helmsman.

"Engage."

The heavy cruiser began to climb higher above the blue gem that was the planet of Bajor, followed by the squadron of Peregrine fighters, as they continued scanning for their Cardassian adversaries. It didn't take any more than two minutes.

"Captain, incoming Cardassian attack craft, bearing 034.23!" Fay shouted.

"No need to shout lieutenant," James replied in a calm tone.

"Sorry, sir."

"Can you see them, commander?" James asked Fox.

"Affirmative, captain," the young pilot replied. "All fighters, move to intercept! Keep them away from the _Valiant_!"

At that moment, both fighter wings broke off and began to engage the Cardassian frigates. Both sides rushed into battle, their cannons and phasers blazing as they clashed. Luckily, the Starfleet pilots were a little more skilled than the Cardassians. Some of them took a few scratches in the initial charge, but nothing too serious, while the Cardassians had lost two frigates. The two sides continued to tangle with each other, like two swarms of hornets in a fight to the death. Fox analyzed the situation carefully as he twisted and turned in the cockpit of his fighter, trying to find something he could use to his advantage, no matter how simple it was. He knew that sometimes it was a simple matter of who could make a sharper turn that could decide the outcome of a battle. In this case, that's certainly what it was. As he piloted his fighter, he noticed how much of an advantage the Peregrine had over the Hideki in maneuverability. While the Hideki frigates had a definite advantage in firepower, it wouldn't matter if their weapons couldn't hit the target. The fighters maneuvered through the vacuum of space with the agility of a Romulan T'liss hawk and struck with all the might of a Klingon targ. The Cardassians lost frigate after frigate to the agile Federation fighters, but still they held their ground, like loyal Cardassian soldiers, something that Fox and Fara had to give them credit for. They had never seen such tenacity in the face of what were becoming impossible odds on their part. Even the Klingons would commend such a noble act. Soon, the last Hideki frigate was scattered into debris after a strike from a photon torpedo that Fara had fired and the Peregrine fighters returned to regroup with the _Valiant_. They had lost three Peregrine fighters in the opening moves, but they were still ready to take on whatever was next.

"Well, I didn't expect the Cardassians to put up that much of a fight," Fara said over the intercom, still trying to catch her breath from the dogfight that took place.

"No kidding," Fox replied. "I think the even the Klingons would've been impressed."

"The Cardassians are indeed a proud race," James replied to both of them, "but believe me, they are cowards compared to the Klingons. If a Klingon commander sees that defeat is inevitable, his most likely course of action would be to ram his ship into adversaries."

"Damn," Fox said.

"Can't wait to take on that Negh'var you guys uploaded," Fara said sarcastically.

"In due course," James replied. "In the meantime, we need to locate the Casrdassian battle cruiser. Commander, take your squadron and ascend to a higher orbit. Scan for any signs of a Cardassian vessel."

"Aye, sir," Fox replied. "All fighters, move to high orbit and level off at bearing 193.14."

The rest of the squadron followed as they ascended higher above Bajor, checking their scanners regularly for anything that might indicate the presence of a Cardassian vessel. As they searched, Fara decided to chastise Fox for his modesty during midday recreation.

"So, Fox, what was that you said about how you still have a few loose ends to tie up with your flying?" Fara playfully chided.

"What?" Fox replied.

"Your flying! That was some of the best piloting I've ever seen, even if this is just a simulation!"

"I…well…this still isn't the best I can do."

"And there he goes again," Fara said with a tone of amusement in her voice. "'It's not my best work,' 'I can do better,' 'I really need to improve.' You need to learn to just take a compliment every once in a while."

Fox chuckled at Fara's scolding. "I'll try."

Just then, something appeared on the scanner of Fox's fighter craft. He carefully analyzed it before contacting the _Valiant_.

"Captain, Cardassian Keldon-class battle cruiser with escort, bearing 117.41!" he said

"Sensors confirm Cardassian presence," James replied.

"Entering visual range now, captain," Fay said.

"Onscreen."

The enemy vessel appeared on the monitor at James' command. The vessel was considerably larger than the _Valiant_, and it was guarded by one final wing of Hideki frigates. Fox and James quickly took in all that was presented to them and began to work out an efficient course of action. Of course, the fighters would have to deal with the frigates, but the problem was making sure that all the frigates were occupied, that they wouldn't have to worry about fire from both the battle cruiser and a frigate that saw an opportunity to break off and provide support for its mother vessel. Fox quickly ran over every possible course of action they could take to keep the frigates at bay, until he remembered something that he had learned in one of his engineering classes about the effects of warp plasma on a ship's impulse engines. Then there was the matter of the cruiser itself. There was no way a Stargazer-class could go toe-to-toe with a Keldon-class. The Keldon was far more powerful and more heavily shielded. James knew something had to be done to level the playing field. Luckily, that exact problem was addressed in a science class that he took; one of the few things that James actually took interest in during that class.

"Shields up! Red alert!" James commanded. The _Valiant_ entered the fray against the Cardassian attack wave. What a spectacle it was watching these two cruisers clash in a flurry of cannon fire and phasers. While very deadly indeed, it was truly a sight to behold. Though it was an amazing show, the combatants had to stay focused on the task ahead. James made his move first.

"Lieutenant Spaniel, would the Keldon's targeting sensors be susceptible to some sort of ionic pulse?" James said.

Fay thought for a minute about everything she had learned about Cardassian vessels before remembering her training in her science classes.

"Yes!" she replied. "A low frequency ionic pulse may be able to temporarily scramble their targeting sensors."

"For how long?"

"Approximately ten minutes."

"Make it so."

"Aye, sir."

Fay quickly redirected all the energy that could be spared toward auxiliary and began modulating the deflector array to send a low level ionic pulse. The process took a few minutes, but was completed before the Cardassian vessel could inflict much damage.

"Pulse ready, captain," Fay said.

"Fire!" James commanded and Fay activated the pulse. Within a fraction of a second, the enemy cruiser ceased fire, unable to detect where its adversary was. James turned and smiled at the young collie.

"Well done, lieutenant."

"Thank you, sir," Fay replied with yet another adorable smile.

"Now to disable their shielding," James said as his attention returned to the view screen. "Lieutenant, how long would it take for you to prepare a viral matrix probe?"

"About three minutes, sir."

"Get started."

Fay nodded and returned to the console to begin modifying a sensor probe to carry a viral matrix to the Cardassian ship.

Meanwhile, Fox and Fara were engaged with the Hideki frigates. This particular attack wing was putting up and exceptionally difficult fight. Both Fox and Fara had some pretty close calls. Fox was having a difficult time with one Hideki when he heard Fara over the intercom.

"Fox, I've got one on me! Agh! He's scratching me up pretty bad!"

"I'm on my way, Fara!" Fox replied as he broke off to engage.

He saw that Fara's fighter was being pursued by to frigates and he quickly dropped in behind them and opened fire, careful to make sure he didn't hit his wingman. With surgical precision, he let loose on the frigate closest to Fara and sent is spiraling into Bajor's gravity in a ball of flame. The second quickly broke off and began to go after the other fighters.

"Thanks Fox," Fara said, relief in her voice. "That was close."

"No kidding," Fox replied. "These guys aren't playing around."

He quickly got on the intercom and contacted James.

"McCloud to _Valiant_."

"This is the _Valiant._ Go ahead," James voice replied.

"We're getting pretty beat up out here, captain. I have an idea on how to get rid of these frigates, but everything will have to go perfectly."

"What do you propose?"

"We're gonna need to shut these frigates down with a modified viral matrix probe. I'll make sure all Federation fighters are clear before you fire. After that, I'm going to need the _Valiant_ to make its way through the frigates and leave a trail of warp plasma. It'll coat the ships and keep their engines offline. After that, Fara and I will come back around and ignite the plasma."

James contemplated Fox's plan and the likelihood that it would succeed.

"The timing will need to be precise, but it is logical to assume that this plan will succeed," James said.

"Good. Now you better get here quick!"

"Affirmative. Kavannagh out. Helm, bring us about, bearing 272.03. Engage."

The _Valiant_ then began to veer away from the disabled Keldon class and toward the chaotic firefight. As they continued fighting, Fara voiced her doubts about the plan.

"Fox, you sure this plan of yours is gonna work?"

"I'm pretty sure. Our photon torpedoes oughta be enough to ignite the plasma," Fox replied.

"I know that. Just, how do we know the ships will be destroyed by the fire. These Hidekis aren't exactly tin cans."

"That's what the viral matrix is for. If we can shut down their shields, the heat should be enough."

"Okay. I hope you know what you're doing."

The two fighter pilots continued their struggle against the Cardassians as the _Valiant_ closed the distance.

"Lieutenant, the Peregrines will need to be at least ten kilometers from the enemy frigates before you fire," James said to Fay.

"Aye, sir. Probe ready and standing by."

Fox looked out his cockpit and saw the cruiser heading for them.

"All fighters, break off and retreat! Set course for Bajor! Standard orbit!" Fox ordered, and the remainder of his fighters followed him toward the planet. Thanks to the superior speed of the Peregrines, they managed to escape firing range within seconds. Then, it was the _Valiant_'s turn.

"Firing viral matrix probe," Fay said as her finger made contact with the console in front of her, sending the probe toward the unsuspecting frigates. With a pulse of blue light, the frigates went dead, their weapons, shields and engines all useless. The _Valiant_ continued its course toward the disorganized cluster of disabled vessels.

"Engineering, prepare to open the plasma vents on my mark," James ordered.

"Aye, sir," the holographic engineering officer replied.

The cruiser continued on its course and began to enter the cluster of dead vessels. James held an attentive gaze on the view screen, making sure that the timing was perfect. Fay watched him the whole time, knowing by the look on his face that somehow he and Fox had everything calculated and timed to the nearest ten thousandth. She wondered how he was able to do it. As James often pointed out, he was only one-fourth Vulcan, yet he seemed to possess the mental skills of a full-blood Vulcan. She truly admired his skill as a captain.

The ship kept creeping its way into the jumble of frigates and finally, keeping his gaze firmly fixed on the view screen, James gave to order, "Open plasma vents."

The bridge officer did so and a trail of glowing warp plasma streamed from the nacelles of the starship as it cruised through the disabled frigates, the plasma engulfing the entire cluster. The _Valiant_ quickly went to full impulse power as soon as it finished its task and made well to clear the area as two Peregrine fighters came streaking in, unleashing a flurry of cannon fire, phaser fire and torpedoes at the sea of plasma that the _Valiant_ had laid down. They pulled up sharply as the plasma caught the projectiles and erupted in a violent maelstrom of flame, taking the last of the Cardassian frigates with it.

Fara looked at the firestorm with awe as it struck her that Fox's plan had in fact worked. She wondered how he had come up with such an effective plan so quickly and how he knew that the components to the plan would actually work. She never remembered learning about how excellent a weapon warp plasma could be. It certainly wasn't taught in their tactical classes and the last time she had even heard the term 'warp plasma' was in an engineering class. How was it that he could have discerned its tactical capabilities? On top of that, she thought back to the actual dogfight and how well Fox utilized every advantage he could think of. He didn't have that mentality that told him to just use brute force to win. He was clever, he was creative and he used what few resources he had to their fullest extent. He was truly an amazing pilot.

Still the fight wasn't over. Fara was broken out of her trance when a spiral wave disruptor beam tore through her right engine. The others immediately became aware of this and saw that the Keldon battle cruiser had recovered from the effects of the ionic pulse and had the fighters in its sights.

"I thought the effects were supposed to last for ten minutes," James said. "It's only been five."

"They must've figured out how to counter the effects," Fay replied. "We don't have enough power to fire another pulse."

"I suggest you begin work on another viral matrix probe then."

"Aye, sir."

The _Valiant_ then turned to shield the fighters, bringing her full broadside to bear on the Cardassian ship.

Fox analyzed the damage that had been done to Fara's craft and discerned that she was in no position to do anything else.

"Fara, head back to Bajor," Fox commanded. "Your too badly damaged."

Fara was about to comply with Fox's command, but something stopped her from heading down to the planet and leaving the battle. She signed on with Starfleet for the same reason that Fox did: to become a pilot. If she was going to achieve that goal, she couldn't let one hit knock her out of commission.

"Sorry, Fox," she said, "but I'm not giving in that easily."

"Fara, your right engine's out," Fox protested. "You'll be lucky if you can fly at half impulse."

"Then I'll stick close to the cruiser. I'm not gonna sit this out, Fox."

Fox was about to protest, but he couldn't bring himself to do it. There was something about her attitude that he admired, about how she refused to leave her squadron and accept the danger. It was similar to his own mentality in a way.

"Okay, but make sure you don't take too much more damage."

"Aye, sir."

All the while, the _Valiant_ continued to exchange fire with the Cardassians. On the bridge, Fay certainly had her hands full. While her top priority was to arm the viral matrix probe, she had to help make sure that they still had a ship to fire it from. She kept alternating between several tasks to keep the ship from being obliterated, whether it was strengthening the shield power, stabilizing the hull polarization or even helping to stabilize the warp core force field. There was no way she would be able to arm the probe if the Cardassians kept inflicting this kind of damage on them. There had to be some way to turn the tide. She then decided that if Fox and James could use what they learned from their classes then so could she. She began to search her memory banks for something that could be useful in a battle and stumbled across an experiment she was working on outside of her particle energy class regarding the shielding systems of many Federation starships.

"Captain, I have a suggestion," she said to James.

"What would that be?" James replied.

"I think a might know a way to re-modulate the shields to send a feedback pulse with every disruptor strike. We can use our own shields as a weapon."

"Are you certain of this?"

"…Not entirely, but I've been doing some experiments outside of class and I'm pretty sure it'll work."

"How sure?"

"About eighty percent sure."

A look of uncertainty grew across James' face as he contemplated the risks. Fay noticed this and understood that her experiment was still theoretical, but she was unwilling to let it go without even trying.

"James," she said in a soft but strong tone, "…I can do it."

"…Make it so."

Fay immediately set to work, tying the shielding system into the particle generators, which she hoped, would be what would send a feedback pulse with every shot. There were several other minor details that had to be worked out and if one thing went wrong, the whole thing could fail. But she was determined. She wanted to prove that this experiment could work, she wanted to accomplish something that had never been tried before, and she certainly didn't want to look bad in front of her friends, especially James. It was certainly comforting to know that James trusted her though.

As she worked, the ship kept taking damage. The fighters did what they could to divert the Keldon's fire, but it wasn't very much, and it was costly. Several fighters were destroyed trying to keep the fire away from the cruiser. All the while, Fara was just watching. Yes she, fired a torpedo or gave a burst from her cannons periodically, but she knew that with an engine out, she wasn't going anywhere fast. As she watched, a voice came over the intercom.

"Fara, are you there?" Fay said.

"Right here, Fay. How's it going down there?" Fara replied.

"Alright, I guess. I have a plan to destroy the Cardassian ship, but I'm gonna need your help."

"What do you need me to do?"

"I've modified the shields to send a feedback pulse with every shot we take. That last hit took out our sensors so I can't monitor the Cardassians' shield levels. I'm gonna need you to keep an eye on them for me, okay?"

"No problem."

"Thanks."

Fay finished her modifications and activated the pulse. She watched as the Cardassians fired another shot at the _Valiant _and she braced for the impact, hoping that her plan would work. After what seemed like an eternity to Fay, the beam made contact with the shields and she watched as a pulse wave recoiled off the ship, traveled up the beam and struck the ship, causing apparent damage to the enemy vessel. It worked.

Fara's eyes widened as she watched the Keldon cruiser's shield weaken with every shot it fired. Since when was Fay this skilled in particle energy physics? Fara knew she was good, but not this good. With Fay's plan working the way it should, Fara decided to do what she could to help out and fired her thrusters as high as they could go. As Fox predicted, she only made half impulse power, but it didn't matter at this point. The Enemy ship seemed a bit preoccupied at the moment. She began to assault the ship with heavy cannon fire, but made sure to reserve the last of her photon torpedoes for the kill shot once the enemy's shields dropped.

Fox and James watched in amazement. They knew that Fara and Fay were talented girls, but this moment opened their eyes to what they were truly capable of. Fara began to put some distance between her and the cruiser as its shields began to reach critical levels. By the time the enemy's shields had collapsed, she was distant enough to avoid collateral damage from an explosion but still well within weapons range. She spun her fighter around and unloaded the last of her photon torpedoes on the now defenseless cruiser. She was simultaneously joined by Fox's fighter and the _Valiant_ as they poured everything onto the Cardassian cruiser. With one final hit from one of the _Valiant_'s torpedoes, the enemy ship was consumed by an enormous explosion.

Fox let out a breath of relief as he looked over at Fara's fighter. He couldn't believe how amazing she was. Even with a crippled ship, she was able to contribute greatly to the fighting. Likewise, James sat back in his chair and gave a slow nod to acknowledge the end of the battle before turning and giving Fay a look of admiration. He was more than impressed with how talented she was.

"_Simulation complete,"_ the computer said before allowing the cadets to exit there respected simulators. James stood up and walked over to Fay's station. As he approached her she threw her arms around him and he did the same.

"That was absolutely brilliant!" James said as they separated, a huge smile across his face. Fay responded by simply embracing him again. The two exited together and went to check their scores.

Likewise, as Fox and Fara got out of their simulators, Fara ran up to Fox and threw her arms around him, Fox lifting her up and spinning her around as he caught her.

"You were amazing, Fara!" Fox said with a smile. Fara returned his smile and returned to Fox's embrace. The two separated after what felt like an eternity to both of them as they went out to check their scores.

They entered the hallway the same time as James and Fay and they gathered around the console between both decks. The computer then began to relay their scores. Fay was first. The computer gathered all the data it had collected during the session and assembled Fay's score of 2090, a score that Fay had never received before. James clearly saw how pleased she was and wrapped his arm around her waist and gave her a friendly smile.

Fara was next. She hoped that the damaged engine wouldn't detract too much from her score. If it did, it wasn't very much, as she received the same score as Fay did. She immediately threw her arms around Fox again when she saw her score. She had finally broken the 1900s.

Next was James. He was a bit nervous considering that if it weren't for Fay, he probably would have lost the ship. Nevertheless, he received a rather high score of 2315. It wasn't his best, but he was certainly pleased with it, considering that he actually won against a Keldon-class cruiser while in command of a Stargazer-class.

Finally, it was Fox's turn. He thought that there was no way he could possibly beat James score. All he did was provide support for the cruiser and didn't claim too many kills, which was why he was surprised when he matched his previous score of 2510. The other three cadets were certainly more than impressed with Fox's performance.

"And he still holds the Academy record," James said.

"I did not expect to do that well," Fox replied, still staring at the scoreboard. He then felt someone place their hand on his shoulder and he looked over to see Fara smiling at him.

"Well, we still have another two hours before the class ends. What say we try something a bit less challenging?" James suggested

"No arguments here," Fay replied.

"Agreed," Fara added.

"How about the Galor-class?" Fox said.

"Sounds good to me," James replied. "Ladies?"

"As long as it doesn't cost me and engine, I'm fine," Fara said.

"And as long as I don't have to drain all of our auxiliary power to blind it for five minutes, I'm good," Fay added.

Fox and James chuckled at the girls' replies and led them back in to continue their training.

**Well, there you go, our first taste of combat (even if it was just a simulation). As always, reviews are appreciated. Again, no flames please.**


End file.
